Founded by former Spotify executive Nick Holmstén and manager Ash Pournouri, Belong operates on traditional bank rails to execute financial-grade KYC checks on music audiences. This verification process discards easily manipulated metrics like follower counts in favor of authenticated human identity. The platform aggregates this verified identity with cross-platform engagement data—spanning streaming consumption, social interaction, and historical merch or ticket purchases—to construct a comprehensive “Know Your Fan” (KYF) graph. These aggregated data points are localized in a digital “Passport” within the user’s phone wallet, serving as a persistent ledger of fan activity and transactional history.
By embedding identity verification at the transactional level, Belong addresses the persistent “dark data” problem where artists remain disconnected from the identities of their most lucrative consumers. This infrastructure shift arrives precisely as major streaming platforms attempt their own superfan segmentation, positioning Belong as an independent, interoperable layer for direct financial routing and high-value fan targeting.
Curated by MusicResearch.com from Music Business Worldwide. Read the full article at: Nick Holmstén and Ash Pournouri officially launch superfan startup Belong – backed by Troy Carter, Chris Zarou and Hans Vestberg
